Better homes with better outcomes for everyone: a vision for the next government

With the party manifestos published, we now stand on the cusp of a general election that will determine the course of the country for the next five years. It is in this context that we are setting out the outcomes that we want the next government to deliver against, which will be guiding our own work through the next parliament.

Having a decent, affordable home in a safe, well-designed and resilient neighbourhood is the foundation of a healthy, happy life, but right now the UK is faced with a health and wellbeing crisis, partly determined by where people live.

But the good news is: it doesn’t have to be this way.

By focusing on the longterm success of our homes and neighbourhoods, we can ensure we create better places for everyone. But to deliver them, we need to involve everyone in that endeavour – local communities and housebuilders, consultants, planners and public health teams – and we need a government prepared to think beyond short- and focus on long-term priorities. 

So here are the outcomes that we want to see for the next five years: 

1: An enabling environment for prioritising health and wellbeing

The built environment industry, local and national government will actively prioritise health and wellbeing outcomes in the way homes and neighbourhoods are planned, designed, developed and operated.

2: Engaged and equitable communities

Communities will have more opportunities to inform decision-making about the places where they live at both a neighbourhood and regional level.

3 An evidence-based planning system

The built environment industry and government will use more health and wellbeing evidence in the planning and design of homes and places.

4: A stewardship plan for long term social impact in every place

More local authorities, developers and housing associations will establish stewardship plans to ensure a lasting positive impact for homes and neighbourhoods.

5: Consistent evaluation of long term health and wellbeing outcomes

The built environment industry will move towards consistent evaluation of health and wellbeing outcomes, with evaluation of outcomes considered the norm.

If these make sense to you, look out for our full strategy with more detail, which we will be publishing in July, in time for the next government, whoever that might be….